1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game machine in which a player plays a game on a display screen by inserting a recording medium on which game program data is recorded.
2. Description of the Related Art
As is well known, game machines generally are used such that a game is played on a liquid crystal display screen provided on a main body of the game machine by inserting a cartridge that stores game program data. Alternatively, a game machine may play a game on a display separate from the main body by inserting a CD-ROM, floppy disk, etc., on which game program data is recorded. It is commonly known that in these game machines, when a recording medium on which the same game program data is recorded is inserted into the game machines, the same game development is realized in the game machines owned by the various respective players.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new game machine with each of the game machines having different recorded data with respect to each other. The new game machine may have different developments of a game depending on the respective game machine by storing recorded data inherent in or peculiar to the respective game machine. This will occur even if the same game program data is read into the respective game machine. The new game machine can also store recorded data on different types of game programs. The above-mentioned objects can be accomplished by the present invention as described in greater detail below.
A game machine in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention stores information inherent to the respective game machine. The stored information can be used on different kinds of game programs and is unrewritable in a game machine for which a game is displayed on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
A game machine in accordance with a second embodiment of the present invention designates information inherent in a respective game machine as a random number value that is already stored prior to shipment and/or a production number specifying the game machine for a game machine in accordance with a first embodiment of the present invention.
A game machine in accordance with a third embodiment of the present invention stores information peculiar to respective game machines, which can be used on different kinds of game programs and can be changed without depending on a game program. The game machine plays a game on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
A game machine in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention acquires information peculiar to respective game machines, which can be used on different kinds of game programs after power is supplied and the game machine is initialized. The game machine writes information peculiar to respective game machines that is acquired into memory and reads game program data after storing the game program data into memory. The game machine plays a game on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
A game machine in accordance with a fifth embodiment of the present invention designates information peculiar to respective game machines as one or more pieces of information selected from personal information, such as a name, a birthday, a sex, or a blood type, that is inputted by a player. Additionally, information is designated based on the number of times a game machine is used (which is incremented by supplying power), information based on the number of times a recording medium is used (which is incremented by inserting the recording medium), and information based on the number of times different types of games are used (which is incremented by inserting a recording medium on which different game program data from the one recorded on a recording medium inserted the last time is recorded), for a game machine in accordance with a third or a fourth embodiment of the present invention.
A game machine in accordance with a sixth embodiment of the present invention stores information based on the number of times a game machine is used. This can be used on different kinds of game programs and is incremented by cycling power. The game machine changes the information based on the number of times power is cycled for the game machine. The game machine plays a game on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
A game machine in accordance with a seventh embodiment of the present invention stores information based on the number of times different kinds of games are used. This is incremented by inserting a recording medium on which game program data is recorded that is different from the one recorded on a recording medium inserted in a game machine the last time. This information can be used on the different kinds of games with the game machine changing the information based on the number of times different kinds of games are used by inserting the recording medium on which the different game program data is recorded. The game machine plays a game on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
A game machine in accordance with an eighth embodiment of the present invention stores specific information specifying the kind of game program data recorded on a recording medium inserted in a game machine. The game machine determines whether or not a recording medium is inserted after power is supplied and the game machine is initialized and, if it is inserted, reads the specific information from the recording medium and compares the specific information of the recording medium and the specific information stored. The machine writes the specific information of the recording medium into memory if the specific information stored and the specific information of the recording medium are different. The game machine plays a game on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
A startup method of a game machine in accordance with a ninth embodiment of the present invention acquires information peculiar to respective game machines that can be used on different kinds of game programs after power is supplied and a game machine is initialized. The acquired information peculiar to respective game machines is stored and then the game program data is read. The startup method is provided for a game machine in which a game is played on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
A startup method of a game machine in accordance with a tenth embodiment of the present invention designates information peculiar to respective game machines as one or more pieces of information selected from personal information such as a name, a birthday, a sex, or a blood type, or information based on the number of times a game machine is used (which is incremented by supplying power), information based on the number of times a recording medium is used (which is incremented by inserting the recording medium), and information based on the number of times different types of games are used (which is incremented by inserting a recording medium that is different from the recording medium inserted the last time, and upon which different game program data is recorded).
A startup method of a game machine in accordance with an eleventh embodiment of the present invention determines whether or not a recording medium is inserted after power is supplied and a game machine is initialized. If it is inserted, the game machine reads the specific information specifying the kind of game program data recorded on the recording medium to compare with the specific information stored in the game machine and to store the specific information from the recording medium into memory if the specific information are different. The startup method is provided for a game machine in which a game is played on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded.
An execution method of a game program for a game machine in accordance with a twelfth embodiment of the present invention plays a game on a display screen in accordance with game program data by inserting a recording medium on which the game program data is recorded. The execution method is used for a game machine that is provided with an uninitialized memory, for storing information peculiar to respective game machines, that is changed without depending on the game program. The method is devised so that when the information peculiar to respective game machines is acquired and stored in memory after power is supplied and the game machine is initialized, then the information peculiar to respective game machines is retrieved from the memory to be used on game program data recorded in a recording medium inserted in the game machine.
An execution method in accordance with a thirteenth embodiment of the present invention designates information peculiar to respective game machines as one or more pieces of information selected from personal information such as a name, a birthday, a sex, or a blood type, that is inputted by a player. Information is also designated based on the number of times a game machine is used (which is incremented by supplying power), information based on the number of times a recording medium is used (which is changed by inserting the recording medium), and information based on the number of times different types of games are used (which is incremented by inserting a recording medium that is different from the recording medium inserted the last time, and upon which different game program data is recorded).